Stock-car



(No Model.)

J. F. ELDER.

STOCK GAE. l

No. 399,605. Patented Mar. 12, 1889.

FIGJ.

nrrEn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES F. ELDER, OE PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

STOCK-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 399,605, dated March 12, 1889.

Application filed June 25,1888. serial No. 278,158- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMEs F. ELDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered a certain new and useful Improvement in Stock-Cars, of which improvement the following is a specification.

My invention relates to appliances for feeding and watering live stock in railroad-cars,

of the class adapted to be raised out of the position occupied when in use into one adjacent to the roof of the car, so as to admit of the utilization of substantially the entire space within the ear for freight of other description as may from time to time be required, an instance of which is exemplified in Letters Patent of the United States, No. 38%,832, granted and issued to me under date of June 19, 1888.

The object of my present invention is to simplify and economize the construction of appliances of such general character and reduce as far as practicable the expense of the application and maintenance of the same in railroad-cars.

To this end my invention, generally stated, consists in the combination of a rod or tubular hay-rack frame and a series of transverse and vertical guide-rods, upon which said frame is fitted to slide freely toward and from the roof of a car without the intervention of pivotal or other connections; also in the combination of allay-rack frame as above specified, and a vertically-moving water-trough adapted to bear directly against the lower frame member and control, in and by its own vertical movements, the movements of the hay-rack frame into and out of operative position.

The improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is p a longitudinal central section through a portion of a stock-car embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a transverse section, on an enlarged scale, through the same; and Fig. 3, a horizontal section through the framing of one side of the car at the line a: a: of Fig. 1.

In the practice of my invention I provide a series of hay-rack frames, 25, which are longilowered and raised, as required, into and out of position for holding a supply of hay within reach of animals transported in the car. The

hay-rack frames, which are of substantially rectangular form, are preferably composed of gas-pipe or light iron rods suitably secured together, the vertical members being spaced at such distance apart as to prevent the hay from falling out, while allowing proper access of the stock thereto. The upper horizontal members of the frames 25 rest on and are supported by transverse guide-rods 26, which are secured to the roof-carlins 8, and maybe either located horizontally, or, as shown, downward ly inclined toward the sides of the car, the guide-rods 26 being turned upwardly at each end, as shown in Fig. 2, or otherwise provided with suitable end stops to limit the traverse of the upper horizontal frame members toward and from the sides of the car. The lower horizontal members of the frame fit freely and are adapted to slide verticallybetween the body-posts 2 and a series of vertical guide rods, 27, which are secured at their ends to said posts or to horizontal members of the body-framing of the car. The guide-rods 27 serve to prevent the lateral displacement of the lower horizontal frame members and to maintain the same in vertical planes during the upward and downward movements of the frames. The latter are wholly disconnected from the guide-rods, body-posts, and watertroughs, and are therefore exempt from tendency to cramping or binding in their movements, with the further advantage of avoiding the expense and complication involved in the use of the hinge or pivotal connections heretofore employed in guiding them.

A feeding and watering trough, 9, is arranged to slide vertically below each of the hay-rack frames 25, said trough being substantially similar to those set forth in my Letters Patent, No. 384,832, before referred to that is to say, being recessed opposite the l bod y-posts 2 to inclose the same on three sides l and thereby economize room within the car, i and being raised and lowered by chains 16,

passing around guide-sheaves and connected to a shaft, 15, rotated by a suitable handwh eel. In the upward movements of the troughs 9 the latter abut andbear against the lower horizontal members of the hay rack frame 25 and raise the same from the positions shown in Fig. 2, being those which they occupy when in use, into positions substantially parallel with the transverse guide-rods 2G, in which latter positions, the frames and troughs being stowed. near the roof of the car, occupy little or no space which is available for the reception of freight, and enable the car to be loaded to practically its .full capacity with freight other than stock. Upon the lowering of the troughs 9 into operative position the hay-rack frames coincidently descend by their own gravity into their operative positions, as seen in Fig. 2. Proper feed-boxes may be located upon the roof of the car, and the troughs 9 can be supplied with water, as from time to time required, by pipes leading from overhead receptacles 11 and provided with suitable regulating-valves. These appliances do not, however, form part of my present invention, and need not be herein at length de scribed.

I disclaim, broadly, a vertically moving hay-rack frame adapted to be raised by the upward movement of a feeding and watering trough and lowered by its own gravity, the same being set forth in my Letters Patent, No. 384,832, aforesaid.

I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The combination, with a railroad-car, of a series of transverse guide-rods secured to the roof-framing, a series of vertical guide-rods secured to the side framing, a lower hay-rackframe rod or bar fitting freely and without connection thereto and adapted to traverse vertically between the vertical guide-rods and side framing, an upper hay-rack-frame rod or bar fitting freely upon the transverse guidebars, and rods or bars connecting the upper and lower hay-rack-frame bars, substantially as set forth.

Intestimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JAMES F. ELDER.

Witnesses:

J. SNowDEN BELL, W. B. OORWIN. 

